Liquid dispensing apparatus for blends of two or more liquids

ABSTRACT

A dispensing apparatus for blends of two or more petrols is provided with an interlock linkage connected between the blend selection device and a stop member connected to the switch for activating the pump motor whereby on alteration of the blend selection device the linkage moves into the path of the stop member, de-activating the motor, and likewise the blend selection device is prevented from being operated when the motor switch is in the &#39;&#39;on&#39;&#39; position.

o Umted States Patent 1 [111 3,776,423

Phillips Dec. 4, 1973 LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR BLENDS OF TWO OR MORE LIQUIDS [56] R f r nces Cited [75] Inventor: Hugh Edmund Phillips, London, UNITED STATES PATENTS England 2,996,221 8/1961 Grise 222/26 [73] Assignees: Avery-Hardoll Limited,

Chessington, Surrey; Beck & C0. Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg (Meters) Limited, London, England Attorney-Bowen & Dowel] [22] Filed: Jan. 13, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 217,677 [57] ABSTRACT A dispensing apparatus for blends of two or more petl Apphcatmn Data rols is provided with an interlock linkage connected [63] Conunuauo" of 3,108 1970, between the blend selection device and a stop member abandoned connected to the switch for activating the pump motor whereby on alteration of the blend selection device [30] Fm'e'gn Apphcahon Pmmty Data the linkage moves into the path of the stop member,

Jan. 20, l969 Great 3,182/69 de..activatjng the motor and the blend selection device is prevented from being operated when the US. Cl. motor witch is in the on position. [51] Int. Cl B67d 5/30 [58] Field Of' Search 222/15, 20, 26 1 Clam, Figures A5? A56 i 05 y me 55 i i l/ I 00m A 0 HO J PATENTED 41975 3,776,423

SHEET 2 BF 4 tome-31S- PATENTEDUEC 4mm SHEET 3 Us 4 LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS FOR BLENDS OF TWO OR MORE LIQUIDS This is a continuatiomapplicationiSer. No 3,108 filed Jan. 15, 1970 now abandoned.

This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing liquids and is particularly concerned withapparatus for dispensing blends of two or more petrols having different octane ratings.

The blend to be dispensed by such apparatus is normally set by an operator turning a handle or knob on the casing of the pump and, due to the mechanism employed-for computing the price of "any selected blend, it is desirable for the blend not to be changed during any particular dispensing-operation.

This object is achieved with apparatus for dispensing blends of two or more different liquids in accordance with the invention, which apparatus has a blend selection device for actuating means to determine the. relative proportions of the liquids of the selected blend and a switch device for activating and de-activating the motor for the main pump or the like wherein an interlock'linkage is provided apart of which engages a part of the blend selection device and which is arranged to move on alterationof the selection device into the path of a stop member connected to the switch device, the arrangement being such thatthestop member is moved into a position preventing movement of the interlock.

linkage and hence the blend selection device when the switch is in the on position in whichthe pump motor or the like is activated and is moved to aposition permitting movementof the interlock linkage and hence alteration of .theblend when the switch device is moved from the on to the off position.

Preferably the interlock linkage includes a detent member engaging in a selected one of a number of grooves in the periphery of a disc connected to the blend selection device, the position ofthe groovesand hence the disc determining'the blend 'to be dispensed, the detent member being connected by linkage either to a tongue or similar member which is moved, when the detent member moves out of a groove and onto the periphery of the disc on'turning of the disc to change the blend, into the path of the stop member connected to the switch device. This hasthe additional advantage that the pump motor cannot be switched on unlessthe detent of the interlock is engaged in a groove and the tongue is out of the path .of thestop member and hence the pump'cannot be activated unless the apparatus is set to dispense one of the pre-determined blends.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: I

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the interlock mechanism and the operative parts of the blend selection device and the switch device of an alternative embodiment'of apparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2. is an end elevation corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the parts in a position where the blend has not been correctly selected; and

FIG. 4 is a similar view to FIGS. 1 and 3 but showing the apparatus set for a blend and with the switch lever switched on. 1

The petrol pump in which the interlock illustrated in the drawings is mounted also includes means to dispense a blend of two petrols in proportions which dependupon the angular position of a blend selection device including a disc 70, the shaft72 of which is driven by a knob 74 on the outside of the casing, through a shaft 76 and gears 78. The means for proportioning the two liquids can comprise balancing valves or the device 80 forming the subject of our Pat. No. 3,486,662 which is driven by a gear 82 on the shaft 72. Means (not shown) are also provided computingithe price of any delivery of any blend of petrols. A pointer 84 on the end of the shaft 72 indicates on a dial on the casing the blend selected by a user.

In order to facilitate the price computer and to provide a practical system the number of blends which can be dispensed is restricted to 3 together with the possibility of dispensing each of the two petrols alone. The five angular positions of the spindle 72 which set the blend control is determined by the engagement in notches or grooves 86 formed in the periphery of the disc 70 of a roller 88 forming a detent member.

The roller 88 is pivotally mounted by means of a bracket 90 man arm 92 one end of which is pivotted at 94 to the casing of the pump and the other end of which is pivotally connected at 96 to a further linkage arm 98 which extends in a direction approximately parallel to the direction of the movement of the roller 88 into and-out from the grooves 86 on the disc 70. The other end of the arm 98 is connected to one end of a lever 100 the other end of which is formed as a bush 102. pivotally connected to the casing and receiving one end of a rod 104 extending at right angles to the plane of the links 92, 98, and 100.

The inner end of the rod 104 which extends across the casing carries a bush 106 having a depending lug 108 whichis connected by means of a pin 110 to a depending lug 112 of a further bush 114 pivotally connected by means of a rod 116 to the casing. The end 1180f the rod 104 is a loose fit in the open end of the bush 114.

The pin connectionbetween the levers l08and 112 reproduces at the inner end of the rod 104 the connection at the outer end and so reduces back-lash during movement of the linkage.

A lever 120, forming an extension of the arm 112, is formed with a nose 122 at its free outer end.

The interlock linkage comprising the arms 92,98,100,108, 112 and together with the rod 104 acts to multiply any movement of the detent roller 88 from its position as shown in FIG. 2 where it is held engaged in one of the grooves 86 by a factor of six.

Whilst the linkage is biased by a spring 124 to the position where the roller 88 is engaged in a groove 86, the roller can, on turning of the disc 70 to change the blend, move onto the periphery of the disc and the nose 122 of the arm 120 of the interlock linkage is then caused to move by that linkage to the-position shown in FIG. 3.

The motor for the main pump of the dispensing apparatus is switched on and off on turning of a spindle 126 by means of a handle on the outside of the casing (not shown) and this spindle is connected to a cam 128 having stop faces 130. Inthe position shown in FIG. 3 the motor is switched off and hence the nose 122 of the linkage arm is permitted to move from the position shown to the position shown in FIG. 3 and hence the disc 70 can be turned causing the detent member 88 to move from one of the grooves in the disc onto the periphery of the disc i.e., to the position shown in FIG. 3

and to then drop into a further groove for the selection of an alternative blend. When the pump motor is switched on the shaft 126 and hence the cam 128 and stop faces 130 are moved in a clockwise direction to the position shown in FIG. 4 in which the stop faces of the cam lie above the nose 122 of the arm 120 of the interlock linkage so that this nose cannot then be moved to the position shown in FIG. 2. The detent roller 88 is then prevented from moving out of the particular groove 86 in which it is engaged and hence the disc 70 cannot be moved to change the blend when the pump motor is switched on.

Equally if the detent has not properly been engaged in one of the grooves 86 on the disc 70 but rather still engages the periphery of the disc as shown in FIG. 3 then the nose 122 remains in the position shown and the cam 128 is prevented from being turned to a position in which the pump motor is switched on due to the engagement of the stop face 130 with the nose 122 which lies across its path. This prevents operation of the apparatus when the blend has not been accurately selected.

Two tapered cheek pieces 132 are attached to the cam 128 and each contacts one of two pins 134 fitted respectively to two arms 136, these being connected to carriers for gear pinions which form part of the calculating mechanism as shown in our US. Pat. No. 3,429,480. When the switch lever is moved to the off position the pins 134 ride up the inclined faces of the cheek pieces 132 and move its pinions cut of mesh with contrate gear allowing the pinions to be moved up or down. When switch lever is moved to the on position, the pins 134 slide down inclined faces allowing the pinions to remesh with the contrate gears.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for dispensing blends of two or more liquids having a motor-driven pump; a switch device for activating and de-activating the said motor; a blend selection device; variable proportioning means for determining the relative proportions of the liquids of the selected blend, the proportioning means being set by the blend selection device; rotatable disc means connected to the blend selection device and having a number of indentations on its periphery, the angular position of the disc determining the blend to be dispensed; wherein an interlock linkage is provided which comprises: a follower member for engagement with the periphery of the said disc; means mounting the follower member for movement towards or away from the disc; resilient means biasing the follower member into permanent engagement with the disc; a tongue or similar member; a stop member connected to the switch device and having two positions corresponding to the on and off positions of the switch; means mounting the tongue for movement into or out of the path of the stop member; and a linkage connecting the said tongue to the said follower member, the tongue having two positions corresponding to the positions of the follower member, the first position of the tongue, when the follower member is riding on the periphery of the disc, lying in the path of the stop member, so as to prevent the switch being moved to the on position and the second position, when the follower is engaged in an indentation of the disc, lying outside the path of the stop member, so as to permit the switch to be moved to the on position. 

1. Apparatus for dispensing blends of two or more liquids having a motor-driven pump; a switch device for activating and deactivating the said motor; a blend selection device; variable proportioning means for determining the relative proportions of the liquids of the selected blend, the proportioning means being set by the blend selection device; rotatable disc means connected to the blend selection device and having a number of indentations on its periphery, the angular position of the disc determining the blend to be dispensed; wherein an interlock linkage is provided which comprises: a follower member for engagement with the periphery of the said disc; means mounting the follower member for movement towards or away from the disc; resilient means biasing the follower member into permanent engagement with the disc; a tongue or similar member; a stop member connected to the switch device and having two positions corresponding to the ''on'' and ''off'' positions of the switch; means mounting the tongue for movement into or out of the path of the stop member; and a linkage connecting the said tongue to the said follower member, the tongue having two positions corresponding to the positions of the follower member, the first position of the tongue, when the follower member is riding on the periphery of the disc, lying in the path of the stop member, so as to prevent the switch being moved to the ''on'' position and the second position, when the follower is engaged in an indentation of the disc, lying outside the path of the stop member, so as to permit the switch to be moved to the ''on'' position. 